ABC's of Parenthood
by Raising Havoc
Summary: Just a bunch of one-shots featuring Clint Barton and his family. The Barton family doesn't get nearly enough love. Rating for potential chapters.


How had it come this far? What brought her to this point in her life? Ten years ago, Laura Hughes never expected anything from the world. She was a headstrong, capable woman, and now she was going to be a mother...a mother that she had never exactly _wanted_ to be, but that was the fate that the cards dealt her. She was struggling, but that was the plight of a single mother.

Her parents hated Clint. They hated the fact that he was always gone and left her alone. Laura assured them that she could handle it, that she was more than able to do what needed to be done in order to survive. She had been a former agent, after all; though her family wasn't aware of what she'd done in her teenage to adult years. She simply told them that she was working in an office somewhere - which hadn't been a _complete_ lie.

Clint was her patient. Her job was to rehab him and reintegrate him into society after being tortured for several weeks by hostiles in an unnamed location. She was familiar with traumas of all kinds, but she didn't expect to fall for the man with the hardened jaw and the rough edges. The relationship was kept secret for a long time. He would intentionally feign injuries to be sent to her office. What they did beyond that was nobody's business. Her time was spent how she felt necessary to _heal him_.

Which led her to this point - where she was now. Sitting in a hospital bed with her hands pressed only so firmly into her sides. She'd retired from SHIELD and decided that once he proposed, they would make things permanent. But in all reality, Cooper came first. The wedding was pushed off to the side, something but a faded memory now. It would happen eventually when he wasn't so busy saving the world. Right now, she was busy giving him something to come home to.

She hissed through another contraction, trying to soothe the unborn child back into a lulled sleep, though it never failed. He was the only one capable of calming the baby, his voice often soothing him to sleep. Cooper Barton was every bit as stubborn as his father, and he hadn't even made his introduction into the world yet. She bit down on her lip and leaned her head back, trying not to cry. She hated the idea of being alone right now...but he was in Russia somewhere, doing what needed to be done.

She never questioned his job. She never questioned what he did, or doubted that he'd be home. She never told him to stop, to give it up. It was him. It was everything that made him who he was; what made her fall in love with him in the first place. He was Clint Barton - the man who had the worst luck on the planet, the most mortal team member of the AVENGERS. He was the man who went into a gun fight with a bow and arrow - and landed more hits than a drone could. He was the man she was absolutely smitten with.

She hadn't even realized how unbearable the pain was until she heard her mother beside her. In reality, she had hoped it would be Clint, but that wasn't going to happen. She whimpered pitfully and reminded herself she had to be strong for him; because he wanted this as much as she did. Her chest ached, her body was sore, and she didn't want to fight anymore. Why couldn't he have been there for her? Her mother coached her along, telling her about all the wonderful things she could do with her son once he was born. The woman asked questions about his father, if he'd be around.

Laura didn't oblige her with an answer right away. Her breathing faltered and hitched for a moment, but she didn't cry. Not yet. "He won't be here today...but he will be soon. I believe in him, Mama. Clint's never let me down." Her hand gingerly reached up to touch the arrow necklace that dangled freely on her breast. "He'll met his son. Even if it's the last thing he does."

"An admirable trait, but I have yet to meet this man. Are you sure you aren't just fabricating a man so that you don't have to be a single mother? Heavens, Laura...I thought we taught you better."

That was when Melissa ushered her mother out into the hallway, leaving the two sisters in the quiet stillness of the room. Laura locked eyes with her sister in understanding. Now wasn't the time to become stressed out, worried, or hypotensive. "He'll be here," Laura choked out finally. "He has to be. It's his only child. Isn't that a little more important than saving the world?"

"To a man who has nothing, maybe all he wants to do is give his son the world." Melissa muttered, brushing her sister's sweaty hair from her eyes. "You told me once that he grew up in an abusive home, that he lost it all when his father and mother died. So to him, he's doing all he can to protect that world for his child to live in. And he'll be here when he can...because that's what good daddies do."

"I can't even tell him-"

"-Laura, calm down. He'll be the first person I notify. Now worry about the task at hand." Melissa grinned and kissed her little sister's head. "You'll make it...you all will."

That was nearly twelve hours ago. An epidural, several painful pushes, and a very fearful weight later, Laura was holding her firstborn child in her arms. She marveled at how much the newborn looked like his father. She could already tell, just by one simple look, that her son would favor him over her. She stroked gently at the baby's cheek and kissed his nose. "Daddy would be so proud of you. After all of that fussing, and you don't even get to meet him yet."

It was six in the morning the next day when Clint got the text from Melissa saying _Come home, Papa Hawk._ When asked by his peers why he was in such a hurry to debrief and leave, his only answer was simply; "there's a girl." Which Tony took to be as "I have a date".

He arrived at the hospital bloodied and bruised, refusing to have been patched up before meeting his son. Why would he turn down the opportunity to hold his child when he was in the perfect location to be patched up? He found his way to her room, only to find her resting in the hospital bed and her mother in the corner reading a book. Letting out a gentle cough, he smiled a bit. "Uh-Mrs...Hughes?"

Doreen looked up from her book, her face pale and blanched, book tumbling from her hands and startling the infant in the bassinet beside his mother. "Oh!" She reached over to try and calm the infant, but he moved much quicker than her, holding out his hand to stop her. "You-must be-?"

"Clint..." He smiled an awkward smile, looking down to his first child, his hand trembling as he traced her cheek gently. "And this is Cooper."

"Yes, that was the name she chose. She said it reminded her of you, but I can't even begin to fathom how, other than the alliteration." Doreen sighed and folded her arms. "Why, Mr. Barton? Why my daughter?"

"Because she had impressive aim and hit me dead on. Why does anyone do anything? She's the only girl. The only one I'll ever love...to fight for. She's given me the entire world. The least I can do is protect it for her." Bringing the infant up into his arms, he smiled and kissed his son's cheek. "And the Hawk's eyes will always be watching out for you, Cooper. Daddy won't let you fall too far."

The elder smiled at the interaction, but noticed him looking down at his phone regretfully. He handed the infant off to his soon-to-be mother-in-law and gave him one last peck on the cheek. "It was nice meeting you, Mrs. Hughes...but duty calls and I'm afraid I have to leave. Please tell Laura that her bird was here...and that he got to hold Cooper. But for now, let her rest." He kissed Laura's cheek gently and grinned. "Time to go save the world again."


End file.
